Hayes Selected to Present at Experimental Biology Conference

Kate Hayes, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Kinesiology, was one of ten researchers whose posters were selected for presentation during the opening reception of the annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), Experimental Biology 2022. The conference, held April 2-5, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, draws approximately 10,000 attendees every year.

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Hayes, who earned her Ph.D. in Kinesiology at UMass in 2017, works as the scientific director of the Muscle Physiology Lab run by Jane Kent. A physiologist with multidisciplinary training in skeletal muscle and cardiovascular physiology, she aims to determine the bioenergetic mechanisms of skeletal muscle fatigue in older adults, and to examine the effect of fatigue on mobility function in older adults.

“I was surprised that my poster was chosen to be highlighted during the welcome reception,” says Hayes. “I am honored that APS chose my poster, and I hope that the science was accessible and of interest to many people across disciplines.”

In addition to the opening reception, Hayes presented her research on the conference’s closing day during a morning poster session and gave an invited oral presentation at an afternoon session on skeletal muscle function and metabolism. Her work used in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy to examine how oxygen might play a role in the development of skeletal muscle fatigue by altering which pathways the muscle cells use to generate energy. Her work demonstrated that during knee extension contractions, oxygen does not appear to limit performance or affect the pathways used to generate energy.

Founded in 1887, the American Physiological Society is a nonprofit devoted to fostering education, scientific research, and dissemination of information in the physiological sciences. It is the preeminent society in physiological research. It is also a member of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, a coalition of 26 independent societies that plays an active role in lobbying for the interests of biomedical scientists.